Horten Ho 229

The Horten H.IX, RLM designation Ho 229 (or Gotha Go 229 for extensive re-design work done by Gotha to prepare the aircraft for mass production) was a German prototype fighter/bomber initially designed by Reimar and Walter Horten to be built by Gothaer Waggonfabrik late in World War II. It was the first flying wing to be powered by jet engines.[1]

The design was a response to Hermann Göring's call for light bomber designs capable of meeting the "3×1000" requirement; namely to carry 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) of bombs a distance of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) with a speed of 1,000 kilometres per hour (620 mph). Only jets could provide the speed, but these were extremely fuel-hungry, so considerable effort had to be made to meet the range requirement. Based on a flying wing, the Ho 229 lacked all extraneous control surfaces to lower drag. It was the only design to come even close to the 3×1000 requirements and received Göring's approval. Its ceiling was 15,000 metres (49,000 ft).

Compared to Reimar and Walter's original design, the jets that appears in the Wolfenstein games sport several notable differences. The in-game version of the Ho 229 is armed with 4 nose-mounted cannons instead of 2 wing mounted ones, and instead of Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engines or BMW 003s, 2 larger turbofan engines are used instead.

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In the Old Blood, it is seen once BJ is in the cable railway, where one jet will do a strafling run on the gondola he's using and upon reaching the bridge, it can be heard and seen flying around, the bridge shaking everytime the jet passes by.

During the event of the New Order, several Horten Ho 229s are used to attack the Allied Force aircrafts during the raid on Deathshead's compound. BJ must use his cargo plane’s nose turret to shoot down as many jets as possible to defend his brethren, but his valiant attempt was eventually put to a stop when a damaged Ho 229 performed a kamikaze attack on his aircraft, destroying the nose turret and gravely injuring BJ. The Horten Ho 229 is seem to be modified and upgraded greatly by Deathshead to serve as interceptors. They easily outperform, outgun and outnumber the Allied P-51 escort fighters. An interesting trait exhibited only by the Ho 229s guarding Deathshead's Compound is the trail of red lights produced by their engines as they soar across the skies, this is probably done intentionally by the developers to help the players spot them more easily.

It appears that the Ho 229s have been such a technological and tactical success, they have become iconic among the pilots of the Luftwaffe, as by 1960 its silhouette is used on the Luftwaffe's badge (said badge can be viewed in the hangers that housed the helicopters of Project Whisper in the London Nautica). However, the Ho 229 seen on the badge bears a closer resemblence to the Horten brothers' original design.

The Horten 229s are still in military service 15 years after their introduction to the Luftwaffe. Three Ho 229s are seen in a military parade in Roswell. They are equipped with red, white and black colored smoke (from the Nazi flag) for aerobatics.